Communications device, infrastructure equipment and methods

ABSTRACT

A method includes receiving one or more first downlink data blocks and one or more second downlink data blocks, for each of the one or more first downlink data blocks and one or more second downlink data blocks determining an acknowledgement status, the acknowledgement status indicating whether the downlink data block was correctly received or not received correctly (ACK/NACK), receiving an indication of first uplink communications resources allocated for transmitting first acknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for the one or more first downlink data blocks, determining that the first uplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information generated in accordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgement information associated with the one or more first downlink data blocks, and receiving an indication of second uplink communications resources allocated for transmitting second acknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for the second downlink data blocks.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates to communications devices, infrastructureequipment and methods for the reception of data by a communicationsdevice in a wireless communications network.

The present disclosure benefits from a claim to the Paris conventionpriority of European patent application EP19166662.7 the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

Description of Related Art

The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of thepresently named inventors, to the extent it is described in thisbackground section, as well as aspects of the description which may nototherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neitherexpressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the presentinvention.

Third and fourth generation mobile telecommunication systems, such asthose based on the 3GPP defined UMTS and Long Term Evolution (LTE)architecture, are able to support more sophisticated services thansimple voice and messaging services offered by previous generations ofmobile telecommunication systems. For example, with the improved radiointerface and enhanced data rates provided by LTE systems, a user isable to enjoy high data rate applications such as mobile video streamingand mobile video conferencing that would previously only have beenavailable via a fixed line data connection. The demand to deploy suchnetworks is therefore strong and the coverage area of these networks,i.e. geographic locations where access to the networks is possible, maybe expected to increase ever more rapidly.

Future wireless communications networks will be expected to supportcommunications routinely and efficiently with a wider range of devicesassociated with a wider range of data traffic profiles and types thancurrent systems are optimised to support. For example it is expectedfuture wireless communications networks will be expected to efficientlysupport communications with devices including reduced complexitydevices, machine type communication (MTC) devices, high resolution videodisplays, virtual reality headsets and so on. Some of these differenttypes of devices may be deployed in very large numbers, for example lowcomplexity devices for supporting the “The Internet of Things”, and maytypically be associated with the transmissions of relatively smallamounts of data with relatively high latency tolerance.

In view of this there is expected to be a desire for future wirelesscommunications networks, for example those which may be referred to as5G or new radio (NR) system/new radio access technology (RAT) systems[1], as well as future iterations/releases of existing systems, toefficiently support connectivity for a wide range of devices associatedwith different applications and different characteristic data trafficprofiles.

An example of such a new service is referred to as Ultra Reliable LowLatency Communications (URLLC) services which, as its name suggests,requires that a data unit or packet be communicated with a highreliability and with a low communications delay. URLLC type servicestherefore represent a challenging example for both LTE typecommunications systems and 5G/NR communications systems.

The increasing use of different types of communications devicesassociated with different traffic profiles gives rise to new challengesfor efficiently handling communications in wireless telecommunicationssystems that need to be addressed.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure can help address or mitigate at least some of theissues discussed above.

Respective aspects and features of the present disclosure are defined inthe appended claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary, but are notrestrictive, of the present technology. The described embodiments,together with further advantages, will be best understood by referenceto the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendantadvantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, and:

FIG. 1 schematically represents some aspects of an LTE-type wirelesstelecommunication system which may be configured to operate inaccordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 schematically represents some aspects of a new radio accesstechnology (RAT) wireless telecommunications system which may beconfigured to operate in accordance with certain embodiments of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an example infrastructureequipment and communications device which may be configured inaccordance with example embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the processing of data for uplinktransmission by a medium access control (MAC) layer and a Physical layerof a communications device or infrastructure equipment, which may be inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates transmissions and allocated communications resourcesin a scenario in which a collision between allocated uplink resourcesfor the purpose of transmitting acknowledgement information may arise;

FIG. 6 illustrates a process for transmitting acknowledgementinformation in accordance with embodiments of the present technique;

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart corresponding to a portion of a processfor transmitting acknowledgement information in accordance withembodiments of the present technique;

FIG. 8 shows a timeline of transmissions in accordance with aconventional synchronous hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) schemein which a transmission of acknowledgement information is delayed;

FIG. 9 shows transmissions and retransmission of data in accordance withsome embodiments of the present technique; and

FIG. 10 illustrates a process according to embodiments of the presenttechnique for transmitting data and receiving acknowledgementinformation by an infrastructure equipment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Long Term Evolution AdvancedRadio Access Technology (4G)

FIG. 1 provides a schematic diagram illustrating some basicfunctionality of a mobile telecommunications network/system 100operating generally in accordance with LTE principles, but which mayalso support other radio access technologies, and which may be adaptedto implement embodiments of the disclosure as described herein. Variouselements of FIG. 1 and certain aspects of their respective modes ofoperation are well-known and defined in the relevant standardsadministered by the 3GPP® body, and also described in many books on thesubject, for example, Holma H. and Toskala A [2]. It will be appreciatedthat operational aspects of the telecommunications networks discussedherein which are not specifically described (for example in relation tospecific communication protocols and physical channels for communicatingbetween different elements) may be implemented in accordance with anyknown techniques, for example according to the relevant standards andknown proposed modifications and additions to the relevant standards.

The network 100 includes a plurality of base stations 101 connected to acore network part 102. Each base station provides a coverage area 103(e.g. a cell) within which data can be communicated to and fromcommunications devices 104. Data is transmitted from the base stations101 to the communications devices 104 within their respective coverageareas 103 via a radio downlink. Data is transmitted from thecommunications devices 104 to the base stations 101 via a radio uplink.The core network part 102 routes data to and from the communicationsdevices 104 via the respective base stations 101 and provides functionssuch as authentication, mobility management, charging and so on.Communications devices may also be referred to as mobile stations, userequipment (UE), user terminals, mobile radios, terminal devices, and soforth. Base stations, which are an example of network infrastructureequipment/network access nodes, may also be referred to as transceiverstations/nodeBs/e-nodeBs, g-nodeBs (gNB) and so forth. In this regarddifferent terminology is often associated with different generations ofwireless telecommunications systems for elements providing broadlycomparable functionality. However, example embodiments of the disclosuremay be equally implemented in different generations of wirelesstelecommunications systems such as 5G or new radio as explained below,and for simplicity certain terminology may be used regardless of theunderlying network architecture. That is to say, the use of a specificterm in relation to certain example implementations is not intended toindicate these implementations are limited to a certain generation ofnetwork that may be most associated with that particular terminology.

New Radio Access Technology (5G)

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a network architecture for anew RAT wireless communications network/system 200 based on previouslyproposed approaches which may also be adapted to provide functionalityin accordance with embodiments of the disclosure described herein. Thenew RAT network 200 represented in FIG. 2 comprises a firstcommunication cell 201 and a second communication cell 202. Eachcommunication cell 201, 202, comprises a controlling node (centralisedunit) 221, 222 in communication with a core network component 210 over arespective wired or wireless link 251, 252. The respective controllingnodes 221, 222 are also each in communication with a plurality ofdistributed units (radio access nodes/remote transmission and receptionpoints (TRPs)) 211, 212 in their respective cells. Again, thesecommunications may be over respective wired or wireless links. Thedistributed units 211, 212 are responsible for providing the radioaccess interface for communications devices connected to the network.Each distributed unit 211, 212 has a coverage area (radio accessfootprint) 241, 242 where the sum of the coverage areas of thedistributed units under the control of a controlling node togetherdefine the coverage of the respective communication cells 201, 202. Eachdistributed unit 211, 212 includes transceiver circuitry fortransmission and reception of wireless signals and processor circuitryconfigured to control the respective distributed units 211, 212.

In terms of broad top-level functionality, the core network component210 of the new RAT communications network represented in FIG. 2 may bebroadly considered to correspond with the core network 102 representedin FIG. 1, and the respective controlling nodes 221, 222 and theirassociated distributed units/TRPs 211, 212 may be broadly considered toprovide functionality corresponding to the base stations 101 of FIG. 1.The term network infrastructure equipment/access node may be used toencompass these elements and more conventional base station typeelements of wireless communications systems. Depending on theapplication at hand the responsibility for scheduling transmissionswhich are scheduled on the radio interface between the respectivedistributed units and the communications devices may lie with thecontrolling node/centralised unit and/or the distributed units/TRPs.

A communications device or UE 260 is represented in FIG. 2 within thecoverage area of the first communication cell 201. This communicationsdevice 260 may thus exchange signalling with the first controlling node221 in the first communication cell via one of the distributed units 211associated with the first communication cell 201. In some casescommunications for a given communications device are routed through onlyone of the distributed units, but it will be appreciated in some otherimplementations communications associated with a given communicationsdevice may be routed through more than one distributed unit, for examplein a soft handover scenario and other scenarios.

In the example of FIG. 2, two communication cells 201, 202 and onecommunications device 260 are shown for simplicity, but it will ofcourse be appreciated that in practice the system may comprise a largernumber of communication cells (each supported by a respectivecontrolling node and plurality of distributed units) serving a largernumber of communications devices.

It will further be appreciated that FIG. 2 represents merely one exampleof a proposed architecture for a new RAT communications system in whichapproaches in accordance with the principles described herein may beadopted, and the functionality disclosed herein may also be applied inrespect of wireless communications systems having differentarchitectures.

Thus example embodiments of the disclosure as discussed herein may beimplemented in wireless telecommunication systems/networks according tovarious different architectures, such as the example architectures shownin FIGS. 1 and 2. It will thus be appreciated the specific wirelesscommunications architecture in any given implementation is not ofprimary significance to the principles described herein. In this regard,example embodiments of the disclosure may be described generally in thecontext of communications between network infrastructureequipment/access nodes and a communications device, wherein the specificnature of the network infrastructure equipment/access node and thecommunications device will depend on the network infrastructure for theimplementation at hand. For example, in some scenarios the networkinfrastructure equipment/access node may comprise a base station, suchas an LTE-type base station 101 as shown in FIG. 1 which is adapted toprovide functionality in accordance with the principles describedherein, and in other examples the network infrastructureequipment/access node may comprise a control unit/controlling node 221,222 and/or a TRP 211, 212 of the kind shown in FIG. 2 which is adaptedto provide functionality in accordance with the principles describedherein.

A more detailed illustration of a UE 270 and an example networkinfrastructure equipment 272, which may be thought of as a gNB 101 or acombination of a controlling node 221 and TRP 211, is presented in FIG.3. As shown in FIG. 3, the UE 270 is shown to transmit uplink data tothe infrastructure equipment 272 via resources of a wireless accessinterface as illustrated generally by an arrow 274. As with FIGS. 1 and2, the infrastructure equipment 272 is connected to a core network 276via an interface 278 to a controller 280 of the infrastructure equipment272. The infrastructure equipment 272 includes a receiver 282 connectedto an antenna 284 and a transmitter 286 connected to the antenna 284.Correspondingly, the UE 270 includes a controller 290 connected to areceiver 292 which receives signals from an antenna 294 and atransmitter 296 also connected to the antenna 294.

The controller 280 is configured to control the infrastructure equipment272 and may comprise processor circuitry which may in turn comprisevarious sub-units/sub-circuits for providing functionality as explainedfurther herein. These sub-units may be implemented as discrete hardwareelements or as appropriately configured functions of the processorcircuitry. Thus the controller 280 may comprise circuitry which issuitably configured/programmed to provide the desired functionalityusing conventional programming/configuration techniques for equipment inwireless telecommunications systems. The transmitter 286 and thereceiver 282 may comprise signal processing and radio frequency filters,amplifiers and circuitry in accordance with conventional arrangements.The transmitter 286, the receiver 282 and the controller 280 areschematically shown in FIG. 3 as separate elements for ease ofrepresentation. However, it will be appreciated that the functionalityof these elements can be provided in various different ways, for exampleusing one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s), or oneor more suitably configured application-specific integratedcircuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s). As will be appreciated theinfrastructure equipment 272 will in general comprise various otherelements associated with its operating functionality.

Correspondingly, the controller 290 of the UE 270 is configured tocontrol the transmitter 296 and the receiver 292 and may compriseprocessor circuitry which may in turn comprise varioussub-units/sub-circuits for providing functionality as explained furtherherein. These sub-units may be implemented as discrete hardware elementsor as appropriately configured functions of the processor circuitry.Thus the controller 290 may comprise circuitry which is suitablyconfigured/programmed to provide the desired functionality usingconventional programming/configuration techniques for equipment inwireless telecommunications systems. Likewise, the transmitter 296 andthe receiver 292 may comprise signal processing and radio frequencyfilters, amplifiers and circuitry in accordance with conventionalarrangements. The transmitter 296, receiver 292 and controller 290 areschematically shown in FIG. 3 as separate elements for ease ofrepresentation. However, it will be appreciated that the functionalityof these elements can be provided in various different ways, for exampleusing one or more suitably programmed programmable computer(s), or oneor more suitably configured application-specific integratedcircuit(s)/circuitry/chip(s)/chipset(s). As will be appreciated thecommunications device 270 will in general comprise various otherelements associated with its operating functionality, for example apower source, user interface, and so forth, but these are not shown inFIG. 3 in the interests of simplicity.

5G, URLLC and Industrial Internet of Things

Systems incorporating NR technology are expected to support differentservices (or types of services), which may be characterised by differentrequirements for latency, data rate and/or reliability. For example,Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services are characterised by highcapacity with a requirement to support up to 20 Gb/s. The requirementsfor Ultra Reliable & Low Latency Communications (URLLC) [5] services arefor a reliability of 1-10⁻⁵ (99.999%) or higher for one transmission ofa 32 byte packet with a user plane latency of 1 ms [3]. In somescenarios, there may be a requirement for a reliability of 1-10⁻⁶(99.9999%) or higher with either 0.5 ms or 1 ms of user plane latency.Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) is another example of aservice which may be supported by NR-based communications networks.

In addition, systems may be expected to support further enhancementsrelated to Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in order to supportservices with new requirements of high availability, high reliability,low latency, and in some cases, high-accuracy positioning.

Industrial automation, energy power distribution and intelligenttransport systems are examples of new use cases for Industrial Internetof Things (IIoT). In an example of industrial automation, the system mayinvolve different distributed components working together. Thesecomponents may include sensors, virtualized hardware controllers andautonomous robots, which may be capable of initiating actions orreacting to critical events occurring within a factory and communicatingover a local area network.

The UEs in the network may therefore be expected to handle a mixture ofdifferent traffic, for example, associated with different applicationsand potentially different quality of service requirements (such asmaximum latency, reliability, packet sizes, throughput). Some messagesfor transmission may be time sensitive and be associated with strictdeadlines and the communications network may therefore be required toprovide time sensitive networking (TSN) [9].

In order to permit a communications device to transmit data associatedwith multiple traffic classes in a timely manner, multiple configuredgrants/semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) grants may be required in orderto provide more flexibility while avoiding excessive dynamic downlinkcontrol signalling.

URLLC services are required in order to meet the requirements for IIoT,which require high availability, high reliability, low latency, and insome cases, high-accuracy positioning [1]. Some IIoT services may beimplemented by using a mixture of eMBB and URLLC techniques, where somedata is transmitted by eMBB and other data is transmitted by URLLC.Furthermore, one of the requirements for communicating uplink data froma UE is to manage intra-UE packet prioritization and multiplexing. Thisis a requirement to prioritise the communication of uplink data andcontrol packets from different categories of traffic within the UE. Abetter appreciation of the generation of uplink data of differentlogical types will be provided in the following section.

Logical Channels

The transmission of data by a communications device or an infrastructureequipment may be required to support different services, bycommunicating different types of information and control information.Such data is received from higher layers at a medium access control(MAC) layer. Different types of information are therefore categorizedinto different Logical Channels. For example MIB or SIB information anduser data information are different types of information and thereforethey belong to different Logical Channels, namely Broadcast ControlChannel (BCCH) and Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH) respectively.

An illustration is shown in FIG. 4, in which a MAC layer 302 at the UE270 maps a Logical Channel DTCH 300 to a Transport Channel comprising anUplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH) 304. As shown in FIG. 4, The UL-SCHTransport Channel 304 is then mapped to a Physical Uplink Shared Channel(PUSCH) 306 within a physical layer 308. The different types of LogicalChannels, e.g. BCCH, DTCH, DCCH, have different requirements orpriorities and to distinguish them, they are each assigned a differentLogical Channel Identity (LCID). Even among data traffic (DTCH) therecan be different priorities or requirements and hence multiple DTCHhaving different priorities may be categorized into different LogicalChannels, each having a respective Logical Channel Identity (LCID). EachLCID can be independently configured by the network.

Corresponding MAC layers, transport channels and physical channels maybe arranged for downlink data transmitted by the infrastructureequipment 101 to the UE 270 or communications device 104.

Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback

Data may be transmitted by the communications device 104, using uplinkcommunications resources, or by the infrastructure equipment 101, usingdownlink communications resources. Data may be transmitted within MACtransport blocks (TB). Each MAC TB is constructed at the MAC protocollayer (such as, in the UE 270, at the MAC protocol layer 302).

Each MAC TB may comprise, or be transmitted together with error checkbits, which permit the receiver of the MAC TB to determine whether theMAC TB has been received and decoded without error (i.e. ‘correctly’ or‘successfully’ received).

Improved data transmission reliability may be realised by the use ofacknowledgement (ACK) information transmitted by the recipient of thedata to the transmitter. The ACK information may comprise an indicationof an acknowledgement status for one or more portions of data. Theacknowledgement status for a portion of data (such as data received in agiven MAC TB) may indicate whether that data has/have been received inerror, or has not been received at all.

In response to receiving the ACK information, the data transmitter mayretransmit data which has not been successfully received by thereceiver. This process may be repeated as many times as necessary untilall the data has been successfully conveyed to the intended recipient.

A HARQ process may operate ‘synchronously’ or ‘asynchronously’.According to a synchronous HARQ process, the relative timing of datatransmission and the transmission of corresponding ACK information isfixed according to predetermined parameters for the HARQ process.

A communications device may operate multiple HARQ processes in parallel,and these may be offset in time. For example, a data block associatedwith one HARQ process may be being received from the infrastructureequipment, a further data block may be being decoded to determinewhether it has been received without error or not, and yet in respect ofa further data block, acknowledgement information may have been recentlytransmitted to the infrastructure equipment and the communicationsdevice may be expecting to receive a retransmission of that further datablock.

Embodiments of the present technique may find application in scenarioswhere the HARQ processes are synchronous or asynchronous.

In accordance with some conventional HARQ techniques, a retransmissionof data may be encoded in a different manner to that used for a previoustransmission of the same data. Additionally or alternatively, a receivermay store information (such as ‘soft bits’ generated as part of adecoding process) corresponding to an earlier transmission of the samedata, and may use this information to improve the probability ofsuccessfully decoding the data after the subsequent retransmission.

In response to receiving data successfully or unsuccessfully (i.e. whereit is determined that one or more errors are present) the correspondingacknowledgement status for that data may be updated. When ACKinformation is subsequently generated for transmission, that ACKinformation may take into account the updated acknowledgement status forthat data.

According to various proposals, ACK information may be generated andtransmitted independently in respect of data associated with differentservices (or service types) and/or logical channels. For example, ACKinformation relating to URLLC data may be generated and transmittedindependently of ACK information relating to eMBB data. In particular,uplink communications resources for the transmission of ACK dataassociated with different service types may be allocated independently.

A HARQ procedure may operate independently of the logical channelsassociated with the data being transmitted and acknowledged. Forexample, one transport block may carry data associated with multiplelogical channels. A single acknowledgement status (ACK/NACK) may bedetermined for such a transport block.

Uplink communications resources for the transmission of acknowledgementinformation may occur less frequently than the transmission of downlinkdata. Therefore, there may arise a need for ACK information transmittedusing a given instance of uplink communications resources to convey theacknowledgement status corresponding to multiple downlink datatransmissions and their respective MAC TBs.

Uplink communications resources for the transmission of acknowledgementinformation may be explicitly allocated by the infrastructure equipment.For example, downlink control information (DCI) indicating downlinkcommunications resources for the transmission of downlink data mayadditionally comprise an indication of allocated uplink communicationsresources for the transmission of acknowledgement information.

Additionally or alternatively, the communications device 104 maydetermine uplink communications resources for transmittingacknowledgement information implicitly based on allocated downlinkcommunications resources. Such uplink communications resources may besaid to be ‘implicitly’ allocated.

The inventors of the present disclosure have identified that such uplinkcommunications resources may conflict, such that the communicationsdevice 104 is unable to transmit ACK information using both of twouplink communications resource allocations. There is thus a need toprovide techniques by which the communications device 104 efficientlytransmits ACK information in the event of such collisions, recognisingthat the ACK information that would have been transmitted using the twouplink communications resources (were there no collision) may have beendifferent and in particular may have related to data associated withdifferent services and/or having different quality of servicerequirements.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided amethod of receiving data by a communications device in a wirelesscommunications network, the method comprising receiving one or morefirst downlink data blocks and one or more second downlink data blocks,for each of the one or more first downlink data blocks and one or moresecond downlink data blocks determining an acknowledgement status, theacknowledgement status indicating whether the downlink data block wascorrectly received or not received correctly (ACK/NACK), receiving anindication of first uplink communications resources allocated fortransmitting first acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the one or more first downlink data blocks,determining that the first uplink communications resources are allocatedfor the transmission of acknowledgement information generated inaccordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the one or more firstdownlink data blocks, receiving an indication of second uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting secondacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for theone or more second downlink data blocks, determining that the seconduplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the one or more second data blocks, determining that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, determining that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, and in response to determining that thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources,transmitting acknowledgement information using the second uplinkcommunications resources, the transmitted acknowledgement informationcomprising an acknowledgement status indication representing theacknowledgement status of the one or more second downlink data blocks,and not transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources.

In some embodiments of the present technique, acknowledgementinformation may be selected for transmission in accordance withpredetermined prioritisation rules reflecting quality of servicerequirements for types of data having different quality of servicerequirements. Embodiments of the present technique provideacknowledgement information to an infrastructure equipment of a wirelesscommunications network to permit the infrastructure equipment toschedule downlink data transmissions and retransmissions in accordancewith quality of service requirements associated with the downlink data.

FIG. 5 illustrates transmissions in a scenario in which a collisionbetween allocated uplink resources for the purpose of transmittingacknowledgement information may arise and will be used to explainvarious aspects and embodiments of the present technique.

FIG. 5 shows portions of a wireless access interface 500 provided byinfrastructure equipment 101 in a wireless communications network. Thewireless access interface 500 comprises uplink resources 502 anddownlink resources 504. In the example of FIG. 5, the uplink resources502 and the downlink resources 504 are separated in the frequencydomain. Both the uplink resources 502 and the downlink resources 504 aresub-divided in to time units. In particular the wireless accessinterface 500 is divided into timeslots 506 a, 506 b and 506 c.

Within the first timeslot 506 a, the infrastructure equipment 101transmits a first downlink control information (DCI) 508 using aphysical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The first DCI 508 indicatesfirst downlink communications resources 510 within the first timeslot506 a on the downlink, and in addition indicates first uplinkcommunications resources 512 on the uplink 502 of the wireless accessinterface 500 within the third timeslot 506 c. The first uplinkresources 512 are allocated for the purpose of transmittingacknowledgement (ACK) information in respect of downlink datatransmitted by the infrastructure equipment 101 to the communicationsdevice 104.

More particularly, the first uplink communications 512 may be providedfor the purpose of transmitting acknowledgement information relating toa first service type, which may be for example the eMBB service type.Thus the communications device 104 is allocated first uplinkcommunications resources 512 for transmitting acknowledgementinformation in respect of previously received downlink data associatedwith the first service type.

Using the first downlink resources 510, which may be on a physicaldownlink shared channel (PDSCH), the infrastructure equipment 101transmits first downlink data which is associated with the first servicetype.

Subsequently, during the third timeslot 506 c, the infrastructureequipment 101 transmits a second downlink control information (DCI) 514using a PDCCH. The second downlink control information 514 indicatessecond downlink communications resources 516 for the transmission ofdownlink data associated with a second service type, which may be theURLLC service type. In addition the second DCI 514 indicates seconduplink communications resources 518 during the third timeslot 506 c.

As such the communications device 104 is provided with communicationsresources for transmitting acknowledgement information to indicate theacknowledgement status of downlink data of the second type such as thattransmitted using the second downlink communications resources 516.

In the example of FIG. 5, the timeslots 506 a, 506 b, 506 c are furthersub-divided in time. For example, the third timeslot 506 c issub-divided in to a first subslot 520 a and a second subslot 520 b. Asshown in FIG. 5 both the first uplink communications resources 512 andthe second uplink communications resources 518 fall within the secondsubslot 520 b. The second uplink communications resources 518 isallocated for the transmission, by the communications device 104, ofacknowledgement information related to data of the second type.

The first uplink communications resources 512 and the second uplinkcommunications resources 518 may each be allocated on respectivephysical uplink control channels (PUCCH). In the example of FIG. 5, thefirst uplink communications resources 512 and the second uplinkcommunications resources 518 may be allocated explicitly i.e. by meansof an indication within a respective downlink control information. Insome embodiments, one or both of the first uplink communicationsresources 512 and the second uplink communications resources 518 may beallocated implicitly—i.e. the communications device 104 determines theallocated uplink communications resources without receiving an explicitindication of their allocation. For example, the communications device104 may determine the location in the time and frequency domains of theallocated uplink communications resources based on which downlinkcommunications resources are allocated or used for the transmission ofdownlink data to the communications device 104.

Each of the first uplink communications resources 512 and the seconduplink communications resources 518 may permit the transmission ofmultiple bits of acknowledgment information. As such each of the firstuplink communications resources 512 and the second uplink communicationsresources 518 may permit an indication of acknowledgment statusassociated with a plurality of downlink data blocks.

In accordance with embodiments of the present technique thecommunications device 104 may determine that it is unable to transmitacknowledgment information using both the first uplink communicationsresources 512 and the second uplink communications resources 518.

There is thus a need to resolve how the communications device 104 shouldbehave in such circumstances in order to ensure that acknowledgementinformation in respect of the first and second service type data istransmitted in an appropriate and timely manner.

FIG. 6 illustrates a process for transmitting acknowledgementinformation in accordance with embodiments of the present technique.FIG. 6 will be described with a reference to the scenario illustrated inFIG. 5 and described above, however it will be appreciated that theprocess of FIG. 6 is more generally applicable and may be used in otherscenarios.

In the process of FIG. 6, the communications device 104 is configured toreceive data associated with a first service, such as the eMBB service,and a second service, which may be for example the URLLC service.

The process of FIG. 6 starts at step S602, in which the communicationsdevice 104 receives first downlink data associated with a first service.In the example of FIG. 5, the first downlink data may correspond to thatreceived during the first downlink communications resources 510 duringthe first timeslot 506 a. Additionally, the communications device 104may receive downlink data associated with a second service type, such asthat transmitted using second downlink communications resources 516.

The process continues with step S604, in which the communications device104 determines if the first downlink data received during the firstdownlink communications resources 510 is received correctly. As part ofthis step, the communications device 104 may employ conventionaldecoding and error correcting techniques. The communications device 104may evaluate an error checking code, for example a cyclic redundancycheck code, to determine whether, after decoding, errors remain in thedecoded data.

It will be appreciated that if the first downlink data is determined notto have been received correctly, then it is necessary for thecommunications device 104 to indicate this to the infrastructureequipment 101 in order to trigger a retransmission of the first downlinkdata. Even if the first downlink data is determined to have beenreceived correctly, then it may be desirable for the communicationsdevice 104 to indicate this to the infrastructure equipment 101 in orderto prevent subsequent ‘pre-emptive’ retransmissions (i.e. where data isretransmitted based on the absence of a positive acknowledgementindication).

Corresponding determinations may be made in respect of the receiveddownlink data associated with the second service type.

The process continues at step S606 in which the communications devicedetermines uplink communications resources allocated by theinfrastructure equipment 101 for transmitting, by the communicationsdevice 104, ACK information in respect of data of the first servicetype. In the example of FIG. 5, the communications device 104 receivesthe first downlink control information 508 in the first timeslot 506 a,comprising an indication indicating the allocated first uplinkcommunications resources 512.

Subsequently, at step S608, the communications device 104 determinesuplink communications resources allocated for transmittingacknowledgment information in respect of data associated with a secondservice type. Referring to the example shown in FIG. 5, in someembodiments, the determination may be based on receiving an indicationof the uplink communications resources, such as an indication within orprovided by the second DCI 514 received during the third timeslot 506 c.The uplink communications resources for transmitting the acknowledgmentinformation in respect of the data associated with the second servicetype may correspond to the second uplink communications resources 518 ofFIG. 5.

At step S610, the communications device 104 determines whether it isable to transmit acknowledgement information using both the first uplinkcommunications resources 512 allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information relating to data of the first service typeand the second uplink communications resources 518, allocated for thetransmission of acknowledgement information relating to data of thesecond service type. In some embodiments, the communications device 104may determine that it is unable to transmit acknowledgement informationusing both the first uplink communications resources 512 and the seconduplink communications resources 518 if the uplink communicationsresources overlap in time. In some embodiments, the communicationsdevice 104 may determine that it is unable to transmit acknowledgementinformation using both the first uplink communications resources 512 andthe second uplink communications resources 518 if the start times of theuplink communications resources do not permit the communications device104 to generate, encode and modulate for transmission the respective ACKinformation to be transmitted on the first uplink communicationsresources 512 and the second uplink communications resources 518.

If it is determined that such transmissions are both possible, thencontrol passes to step S612 in which the communications device 104determines a first codebook for forming the acknowledgment informationto be transmitted using the first uplink communications resources 512.

Similarly at step S614, the communications device 104 determines asecond codebook for forming the acknowledgement information to betransmitted in respect of the second service type data.

A codebook, such as the first codebook and the second codebook, maycomprise predetermined rules for generating ACK information fortransmission to the infrastructure equipment 101 by the communicationsdevice 104. For example, a codebook may specify a number of bits ofacknowledgement information to be included in each transmission of ACKinformation. The codebook may additionally or alternatively specify anumber of data blocks, wherein a given instance of ACK information is toindicate the acknowledgement status of each of the specified number ofdata blocks. In some embodiments, a codebook may specify a timeduration, wherein the ACK information is to comprise an indication ofthe acknowledgement status of each data block received during the timeduration.

Each of the first codebook and the second codebook may be configured toensure that the number of bits of acknowledgement information includedwithin the ACK information is sufficient to indicate the acknowledgementstatus of each block for which the acknowledgement status is to bereported within the ACK information.

A codebook may be semi-static so that a number of bits within the ACKinformation is configured (for example by RRC configuration). Accordingto a semi-static codebook, the number of bits of ACK information may beindependent of the number of data blocks and/or PDSCH instances whosecorresponding acknowledgement status is to be reported.

A codebook may be dynamic, so that the number of bits is determined foreach transmission of ACK information. The codebook may be determinedbased on DCI, an in particular based on a PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback timingvalue and a time domain resource assignment field within the DCI. Thecodebook is based on actual PDSCH reception. To make sure the codebookis consistent between UE and gNB, a downlink assignment indicator (DAI)is informed to the UE via DCI. The DAI denotes the cumulative number ortotal number of PDSCH receptions, as is described in more detail below.

Each data service type may be associated with a different codebook. Theassociation between a data service type and a codebook may be specified(for example in technical specifications documents) or may be configuredby the infrastructure equipment 101, for example by means of RRCsignalling.

At step S616, the communications device 104 forms first acknowledgementinformation based on the acknowledgement status of previous data blocksin accordance with the first codebook. The previous data blocks whoseacknowledgement status is reported in the first acknowledgementinformation may comprise data associated with the first service type.

For example, referring to FIG. 5, the first acknowledgement informationmay comprise an indication as to whether the downlink data receivedduring the first downlink communications resources 510 was received anddecoded without error. The first acknowledgement information mayadditionally contain indications as to whether previously receiveddownlink data associated with the first service type has beensuccessfully received or not.

It will be appreciated that in some scenarios, the communications device104 may be unable to determine that downlink data has been transmittedby the infrastructure equipment 101 to the communications device 104.However, various techniques are known to ensure that the indicationswithin acknowledgment information correspond on a one to one basis withdata which was transmitted by the infrastructure equipment 101 to thecommunications device 104, even if the communications device 104 was notin fact able to receive or even detect that data.

One example of such a technique is to associate each data block with asequence number, which is transmitted together with the downlink datablock. If the communications device 104 is able to receive and decodethe data block including the sequence number, then it may accordinglyupdate the acknowledgement status associated with that sequence number.For example, a block may be successfully received having a sequencenumber 2.

If the communications device 104 next receives a data block which itdetermines is associated with an out-of-sequence sequence number, forexample, 4, then it determines that it failed to detect or receivesuccessfully a data block associated with the intermediate sequencenumber(s). In this example, it accordingly sets the acknowledgementstatus associated with the sequence number 3 to indicate that thecorresponding data block has not been successfully received.

In accordance with some conventional techniques, the sequence number mayreset periodically or (if the sequence number is represented by a fixednumber of bits) when the sequence number exceeds the maximum possiblevalue that can be represented. In accordance with some conventionaltechniques, the sequence number may be referred to as a ‘downlinkassignment indicator’ (DAI) and may be indicated in downlink controlinformation which indicates downlink communications resources in whichdata is to be transmitted to the communications device.

In accordance with some conventional techniques, sequence numbers may beapplied irrespective of the respective data service type. In someapproaches, on the other hand, separate sequence numbering is used foreach data service type. In some approaches, a single DCI may refer toboth sequence numbers, for example, using different fields within theDCI to refer to each sequence. In some approaches only one sequencenumber can be included in a DCI, and thus separate DCIs are used toindicate the current value of each sequence.

At step S618, the communications device 104 transmits the firstacknowledgment information using the first uplink communicationsresource 512.

At step S620, the communications device 104 forms the secondacknowledgement information based on the acknowledgment status of one ormore previous data blocks associated with the second service type inaccordance with the second codebook, and at step S622, thecommunications device 104 transmits the second acknowledgementinformation using the second uplink communications resources 518.

The process then ends at step S624.

Returning to step S610, if it is determined that the communicationsdevice 104 is unable to transmit acknowledgement information using boththe first uplink communications resources 512 and the second uplinkcommunications resources 518, then control passes to step S626.

In step S626, the communications device 104 determines which of thefirst and second uplink communications resources 512, 518 has a higherpriority; that is, with which uplink communications resources thecommunications device 104 will transmit acknowledgement information inthe event that it cannot transmit using both first and second uplinkcommunications resources. The determination of this is described infurther detail below. However, in some embodiments this step maycomprise determining which of the acknowledgement information associatedwith the first service type data and the second service type data is ofhigher priority, and/or may be based on a determination of respectivepriorities associated with codebooks to be used for the formation ofacknowledgement information to be transmitted using the first and seconduplink communications resources (such as those that would have beendetermined at steps S612 and S614).

In the following description it is assumed that the second codebook orthe second uplink communications resources 518 has the higher priority.However it will be appreciated that the process description appliessimilarly if in fact it is determined that the first uplinkcommunications resources 518 have the higher priority.

Control then passes to step S628, in which the communications device 104forms and transmits second uplink acknowledgement information in respectof the second service type data using the second uplink communicationsresources 518. This step may broadly correspond to a combination of thesteps S612, S616 and S618 described above. In other words, thecommunications device 104 may transmit using the second uplinkcommunications resources 518 the acknowledgement information that wouldhave been transmitted were there no conflict with the first uplinkcommunications resources 512.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present technique, notransmission occurs using the first uplink communications resources 512.

In some embodiments the process ends following step S628. However insome embodiments the process continues with step S630, in which some orall of the first acknowledgement information which would otherwise havebeen transmitted using the first uplink communications resources 512, istransmitted subsequently using uplink communications resources on aphysical uplink control channel.

In some embodiments, the first acknowledgement information istransmitted using subsequent uplink communications resources, which maybe the next uplink communications resources allocated for thetransmission of acknowledgement information relating to the firstservice type data.

In some embodiments the first acknowledgement information may betransmitted using the next occurring uplink communications resourceswhich are allocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information,irrespective of the service type for which that uplink communicationsresources are allocated.

For example, referring to the example of FIG. 5, the acknowledgementinformation which would otherwise have been transmitted, were it not forthe conflict with the second uplink communications resources 518, may betransmitted using subsequent uplink communications resources which areallocated for the purpose of transmitting acknowledgement informationregarding the second service type data.

Subsequently at step S632, the process ends.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart corresponding to a portion of a processfor transmitting acknowledgement information in accordance withembodiments of the present technique. The flowchart starts at step S702,which in some embodiments follows immediately from step S626 of theprocess illustrated in FIG. 6 and described above. That is, in someembodiments, instead of continuing with step S628, the process shown inFIG. 6 continues from step S626 directly to step S702.

In step S702, the communications device 104 determines a number of bitsof acknowledgement information which can be transmitted using the seconduplink communications resources 518. The determination of the number ofbits may depend on one or more of

-   -   a number of resource blocks allocated on the physical uplink        control channel corresponding to the second uplink        communications resources 518,    -   a time duration (e.g. a number of OFDM symbols) which the second        uplink communications resources 518 occupy,    -   a value based on a format to be used when transmitting using the        second uplink communications resources 518,    -   a predetermined value based on modulation and coding scheme        parameters applicable for the second uplink communications        resources 518 and    -   a predetermined code rate which may be determined based on        previous RRC signalling received from the infrastructure        equipment 101.

At step 704, the communications device 104 determines a number of bitsof acknowledgement information which are to be transmitted in respect ofthe data of the second service type. As described above, the number ofbits required to transmit acknowledgement information may depend on adetermined codebook for the relevant acknowledgement information, anumber of previous time periods for which the acknowledgementinformation is to cover, and/or number of previous downlink data blockswhose acknowledgement status is to be reported. As described above,based on techniques such as the use of the DAI, the communicationsdevice 104 may determine that the number of data blocks whoseacknowledgement status is to be reported is greater than the number ofdata blocks that the communications device 104 actually detected(whether or not it successfully decoded them).

At step S706, the communications device 104 performs a similar processto that in step S704, in respect of acknowledgement information expectedto be transmitted using the first uplink communications resources 512 inrespect of data of the first service type.

At step S708, the communications device 104 determines whether thequantity of bits determined at step S702 which can be included andtransmitted using the second uplink communications resources 518 isgreater than or equal to the sum of the bits determined at step S704 andthe number of bits determined at step S706. In other words, thecommunications device 104 determines whether it is possible to transmit,using only the second uplink communications resources 518, the expectedacknowledgement information in respect of data of both the first andsecond service types.

If the capacity of the second uplink communications resources 518 issufficient to transmit all of the expected acknowledgement information,then control passes to step S710, and the expected acknowledgementinformation in respect of data of both the first and second types isformed into a block of acknowledgement information which is transmittedusing only the second uplink communications resources 518. Notransmission using the first uplink communications resources 512 takesplace, and the process ends.

If at step S708 it is determined that the capacity of the second uplinkcommunications resources 518 is insufficient to transmit the expectedacknowledgement information in respect of both the first and second dataservice types, then in some embodiments as shown by the dotted line S750a, control passes to step S712.

In step S712 the communications device 104 uses the second uplinkcommunications resources 518 to transmit only acknowledgementinformation related to data of the second service type. In someembodiments therefore step S712 may correspond broadly to step S628 ofthe process of FIG. 6 and described above.

Returning to step S708, if the outcome of that decision is that thecapacity of the second uplink communications resources 518 isinsufficient, then in some embodiments, control passes to step S714 asindicated by the dotted line 750 b.

In step S714, the communications device 104 selects a subset of theacknowledgement information associated with the first service type datato be transmitted using the second uplink communications resources 518.In some embodiments the selected subset of acknowledgement informationmay comprise acknowledgement information associated with the mostrecently received downlink data of the first service type. In someembodiments, the selected subset may be selected based on the size ofthe MAC TB of each respective downlink data transmission. For example,acknowledgement information related to large data blocks may be selectedin preference to acknowledgement information associated with smallerdata blocks. In some embodiments the selected subset may relate to onlydownlink data which was correctly received and decoded by thecommunications device 104.

Following step S714, control passes then to step S716. In step S716, thecommunications device 104 combines the acknowledgement informationrelating to the second service type (being the higher priority servicetype identified at step S626) with the selected subset ofacknowledgement information related to the first service type data whichwas selected at step S714.

Subsequently at step S718, the communications device 104 transmits thecombined acknowledgement information formed at step S716 using thesecond uplink communications resources 518. The first uplinkcommunications resources 512 are not used for transmission.

In yet further embodiments of the present technique, following anegative decision at step S708, then as indicated by the dotted line 750c, control may pass to step S720.

In step S720, the communications device 104 aggregates acknowledgementinformation relating to a plurality of previously received downlink datablocks of the first service type in order to reduce the total number ofbits required to indicate acknowledgement information in respect of thatdata. For example in some embodiments the communications device 104groups previously received data blocks of the first service type and,for each group, generates one bit of acknowledgement information.

In some embodiments that one bit may indicate either that all of thedata blocks within that group were received and decoded correctly, orthat one or more of the data blocks within that group was not receivedcorrectly. As such, if a ‘1’ represents successful reception and ‘0’represents unsuccessful reception, each bit of the reduced set ofacknowledgement information bits may comprise a logical AND of aplurality of bits of the original acknowledgement information.

Subsequently in some embodiments control passes from step S720 to stepS716 as indicated by the dashed line 752 a. In such embodiments thenumber of bits of reduced ACK information generated in step S720 is suchthat the second uplink communications resources 518 provide sufficientcapacity to transmit both the ACK information bits determined at stepS702 and the reduced ACK information bits generated at step S720. Thereduction of bits at step S720 may therefore be based on a determinationof the available capacity within the uplink communications resources,after the inclusion of the second ACK information identified at stepS702. For example, the number of bits within each group may be adjustedaccordingly.

In step S716, as described above, the acknowledgement informationrelating to data of the second service type is combined with the reducednumber of bits of acknowledgement information formed at step S720,relating to data of the first service type.

In some other embodiments, control passes from step S720 to step S722 asindicated by the dashed line 752 b. In such embodiments, at step S720,the number of bits of reduced data is equal to 1. For example, one bitof data formed at step S720 indicates either that all of the previouslyreceived data of the first service type within the scope of the firstacknowledgement information identified at step S706 indicates that therespective data was correctly received and decoded, or that at least onesuch data block was received in error or was not received at all.

Thus at step S720, only one bit of acknowledgement information isgenerated in respect of the first service type data.

In such embodiments when control passes via the dashed line 752 b tostep S722, then at step S722, the acknowledgement information related tothe second service type data is transmitted using the second uplinkcommunications resources 518 but in a manner which indicates whether thesingle bit generated at step S720 in respect of the first service typedata is a 0 or a 1.

In some embodiments a scrambling sequence applied to the PUCCH carryingthe acknowledgement information relating to the second service type datais used to distinguish between the possible values of the single bitgenerated at step S720. For example a first predetermined scramblingsequence may be used in the case that the single bit is a 0, and asecond predetermined scrambling sequence may be used in the case thesingle bit is a 1.

In such embodiments the infrastructure equipment 101 may blind detectfor both possible predetermined scrambling sequences. In someembodiments, at step S722, the physical resources used to transmit thesecond acknowledgement information in respect of the second service typedata may depend on the bit generated at step S720. For example if thebit generated at step S720 is a 0, then the second acknowledgementinformation is transmitted using uplink communications resources in afirst physical resource block (PRB), otherwise if the bit generated atstep S720 is a 1, then the second acknowledgement information istransmitted using a second PRB. Following step S722, the process ends.

In some embodiments, where steps S714 or S720 are used to reduce theamount of ACK information relating to the first service type, some orall of the omitted ACK information may be transmitted subsequently, forexample in the manner described above in respect of step S630.

At step S626 of the process illustrated in FIG. 6 and described above,the communications device 104 determines which of the first and seconduplink communications resources 512, 518 should be used, if thecommunications device 104 determines at step S610 that it is not capableof transmitting acknowledgement information using both.

In other words, the communications device 104 determines whether apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than a priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources.

The determination may be based on one or more of the first uplinkresources, the first codebook, the second uplink resources and thesecond codebook.

The following paragraphs describe examples of how this determination maybe made, in accordance with embodiments of the present technique.

In some embodiments, the communications device 104 is configured, forexample by means of RRC signalling, to associate each of the first andsecond codebooks to be used for forming ACK information for transmissionusing, respectively, the first and second uplink communicationsresources 512, 518 with a priority level. Accordingly, if the firstcodebook is associated with a higher priority than the second codebook,then the first uplink communications resources 512 have the higherpriority, and vice versa.

In some embodiments, each service type (e.g. URLLC, eMBB) is associatedwith a particular codebook.

In some embodiments, each service type is associated with a priority. Arelative priority of uplink communications resources is determined basedon a relative priority of service type associated with the codebook tobe used for transmitting ACK information using the respective uplinkcommunications resources.

Referring for example to FIG. 5, the first uplink communicationsresources 512 may be allocated for the transmission of ACK informationformed in accordance with a codebook associated with the eMBB servicetype, and the second uplink communications resources 518 may beallocated for the transmission of ACK information formed in accordancewith a codebook associated with the URLLC service type. If the priorityassociated with the URLLC service type is higher than that associatedwith the eMBB service type, then the second uplink communicationsresources 518 are determined to have a higher priority than the firstuplink communications resources 512.

In some embodiments, each codebook is associated with a codebook indexvalue which implicitly indicates a priority associated with thecodebook. For example, a codebook having a first index value may have ahigher priority than a codebook having a second index value higher thanthe first index value.

In some embodiments, an indication of an allocation for uplinkcommunications resources for transmitting acknowledgement informationcomprises an indication of a priority level associated with thosecommunications resources. For example, in the example of FIG. 5, thefirst downlink control information 508 and second downlink controlinformation 514 may comprise, respectively, an indication of a priorityassociated with the first uplink communications resources 512 and thesecond uplink communications resources 518.

In some embodiments, the downlink control information may comprise anexplicit indication of the priority level associated with thecorresponding uplink communications resources. In some embodiments, thecommunications device 104 determines the priority level of the uplinkcommunications resources based on one or more other parameters indicatedby the downlink control information.

For example, in some embodiments, the DCI may comprise an indication ofa method of indicating a start time of the uplink communicationsresources. According to a first method, the start time may beconstrained to be aligned with a start of a time unit, such as one ofthe timeslots 506 a, 506 b, 506 c. This may be referred to as a PDSCHmapping type A. According to a second method, the start time is notconstrained to be aligned with a start of a time unit. This may bereferred to as a PDSCH mapping type B. Communications resourcesallocated by a DCI in which the start time is indicated by the firstmethod may be associated with a lower priority than communicationsresources allocated by a DCI in which the start time is indicated by thesecond method. Accordingly, where the second method is used forallocating resources for the transmission of ACK information for lowerlatency data (such as URLLC data), those resources may be given higherpriority than resources allocated by means of the first method, whichmay be used for higher bandwidth data having less stringent latencyrequirements (such as eMBB data).

A delay between the DCI and the start time of the uplink communicationsresources may be indicated with a particular granularity. This delay maybe referred to as a PDSCH-PUCCH delay. In some embodiments, thecommunications device 104 may determine the priority of the uplinkcommunications resources based on this granularity. For example, wherethe delay is expressed in units of sub-slots, the communicationsresources may have a higher priority than those where the delay isexpressed in units of slots, a subslot being a time unit of finergranularity than a slot.

Thus, the communications device 104 may in some embodiments determinethe priority of the uplink communications resources based on agranularity of a time unit used for the indication of the start time ofthe uplink communications resources.

In some embodiments, the DCI may be formatted according to one of aplurality of predetermined formats. Each format may be associated with aparticular priority level. Accordingly, the communications device 104may determine the DCI format used for a DCI, and based on the DCIformat, determine the priority associated with the uplink communicationsresources allocated by the DCI.

In some embodiments, the downlink control information may be encodedusing one of a plurality of temporary identifiers associated with thecommunications device 104. In particular, in some embodiments, cyclicredundancy check (CRC) bits associated with the DCI may be combined witha temporary identifier, by means of a logical bit-wise XOR operation.Each of the plurality of temporary identifiers associated with thecommunications device 104 may be associated with a priority level.Accordingly, the communications device 104 may determine which of theplurality of temporary identifiers associated with the communicationsdevice 104 was used to encode the DCI, and hence determine thecorresponding priority of the uplink communications resources allocatedby the DCI.

In some embodiments, the priority associated with the uplinkcommunications resources indicated in a DCI is determined based on thedownlink communications resources allocated by the DCI. For example, insome embodiments, the later the end of the downlink communicationsresources is, the higher the priority of the corresponding uplinkcommunications resources. Referring to the example of FIG. 5, the firstdownlink communications resources 510 finish within the first timeslot506 a, and the second downlink communications resources 516 finishwithin the third timeslot 506 c. Accordingly, the communications device104 determines that the second uplink communications resources 518,being allocated by the same (second) DCI as the second downlinkcommunications resources 516, has higher priority than the first uplinkcommunications resources 512.

In some embodiments, each instance of downlink communications resources,such as the first downlink communications resources 510 and the seconddownlink communications resources 516 are used for the transmission of asingle MAC TB.

In some embodiments, each instance of downlink communications resources,such as the first downlink communications resources 510 and the seconddownlink communications resources 516 are used for the transmission ofone or more MAC TBs, and an acknowledgement status is determined foreach MAC TB independently. Accordingly, in forming ACK information, morethan one bit may be required to indicate the acknowledgement status ofdata received during a single instance of downlink communicationsresources.

In some embodiments, a MAC TB is sub-divided into a plurality ofportions and an acknowledgement status is determined and maintained inrespect of each portion independently. Accordingly, more than one bitwithin ACK information may be required to indicate the acknowledgementstatus of the constituent portions of a MAC TB. Each portion may bereferred to as a code block group (CBG).

It will be appreciated that the use of CBGs may improve the efficiencyof use of the wireless access interface, because only those CBGs whichare determined to have been received in error need to be retransmitted,and not an entire MAC TB. However, this requires a correspondingincrease in the quantity of ACK information being transmitted.

In some embodiments of the present technique, where CBGs are used, thenin step S720, bundling is carried out in respect of groups of CBGswithin a MAC TB. For example, if each MAC TB is divided into four CBGs,then the number of bits of ACK information can be reduced by half bybundling pairs of CBGs together. Alternatively (and having the sameeffect), the number of CBGs within a MAC TB, for the purpose ofgenerating the ACK information may be reduced by half, for example fromfour to two CBGs per MAC TB.

In some embodiments, as described above, some ACK information isdelayed. That is, ACK information that would have been transmittedwithin a particular timeslot is transmitted during a subsequent timeslotas a result of a conflict between two or more uplink communicationsresource allocations.

In some embodiments, a HARQ process may be synchronous; that is,acknowledgement information comprising an indication of theacknowledgement status of a data block may be expected to be transmittedwithin a certain time after the transmission of the data block.

In embodiments where the transmission of an indication of anacknowledgement status is delayed beyond this time limit, or does notoccur at all, there may be consequential implications for the operationof the corresponding HARQ process. In particular, in accordance withconventional techniques, it may not be possible to transmit further dataassociated with the same HARQ process, even though all previous dataassociated with the HARQ process has been successfully received. Thismay lead to a reduction in the overall data throughput that is possible.

For convenience, a HARQ cycle is defined herein to refer to a timeperiod starting with a timeslot in which data associated with a HARQprocess is transmitted, and ending at the last timeslot prior to theearliest next timeslot in which data associated with the same HARQprocess can be transmitted, taking into account acknowledgementinformation transmitted by the receiver of the data in respect of theearlier data transmission.

An example of this problem is illustrated in FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 shows an uplink portion 802 and a downlink portion 804 of awireless access interface 800. Communications resources of the wirelessaccess interface 800 are divided into time slots 806 a-j. Data 808 a-htransmitted using the downlink communications resources in each timeslot is associated with one of eight concurrently operating HARQprocesses. For example, first data 808 a transmitted during the firsttimeslot 806 a is associated with a first HARQ process.

In the example of FIG. 8, each HARQ process requires that theacknowledgement status of data be transmitted within four timeslotsafter the most recent transmission of that data. Thus, acknowledgementinformation indicating the acknowledgement status of the first data 808a received during the first timeslot 806 a is expected to be transmittedduring the fifth timeslot 806 e.

Double-headed arrow 812 indicates the extent of a HARQ cycle for theHARQ process associated with the first data 808 a, which in the exampleof FIG. 8 has a duration of 8 timeslots. The HARQ cycle comprises afirst timeslot during which the first data 808 a is transmitted, fourfurther timeslots permitted for the processing of the first data 808 aby the communications device 104 and for forming the corresponding ACKinformation, one timeslot for the transmission of the ACK informationand three further timeslots permitted for the processing of theacknowledgement information by the infrastructure equipment 101 and forselecting the next data (or a retransmission) to transmit during thefirst timeslot of the next HARQ cycle.

It will be appreciated that HARQ cycles of different durations arepossible and the present disclosure is not limited to the specificexample of HARQ cycles having a duration of 8 timeslots.

In the example of FIG. 8, as a result of a delay to the transmission ofthis acknowledgement information until the sixth timeslot 806 f, theinfrastructure equipment 101 is unable to determine whether the firstdata 808 a has been received correctly by the communications device 104in time to schedule a retransmission of the data in the eighth timeslot806 i.

In the example of FIG. 8, this has the effect that no data istransmitted to the communications device 104 during the eighth timeslot806 i, and a retransmission of the first data 808 a occurs during theninth timeslot 806 j, in response to receiving acknowledgementinformation 810 indicating that the communications device 104 had notsuccessfully received the first data 808 a. The inventors of the presentdisclosure have appreciated that any delay in transmittingacknowledgement information where HARQ is used may have a detrimentaleffect on the throughput of data to the communications device 104. Sucha delay may arise, for example, as a result of the use of the processillustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, where step S630 as described above, iscarried out.

In some embodiments of the present technique, in response to determiningthat such a delay has occurred, then the infrastructure equipment 101transmits a retransmission of the data, where the transmission of theacknowledgement status for that data has been delayed.

In some embodiments of the present technique, in response to determiningthat such a delay has occurred, then the infrastructure equipment 101transmits an initial transmission of new data, where the transmission ofthe acknowledgement status for that data has been delayed. An example ofthis is shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 shows transmissions and retransmission of data in accordance withsome embodiments of the present technique.

FIG. 9 shows first to fourteenth timeslots 806 a-n of the wirelessaccess interface 800 described above.

According to some embodiments of the present technique, where HARQ isused, if it is not possible to transmit some acknowledgement informationwithin the time constraints associated with the HARQ requirements, thenthat acknowledgement information is not transmitted within the same HARQcycle.

In response to determining that the acknowledgement information has notbeen transmitted, the infrastructure equipment 101 schedules, during thefirst timeslot of the subsequent HARQ cycle, new data 902 (i.e. datawhich has not previously been transmitted to the communications device104).

The subsequent behaviour of the communications device 104 depends onwhether the first data 808 a has been correctly received.

If, as shown by the ‘X’ superimposed on the first data 808 a in FIG. 9,the first data 808 a has not been successfully received, then thecommunications device 104 may discard the new data 902 withoutattempting to decode it. During the thirteenth timeslot 806 m, thecommunications device 104 transmits acknowledgement information 904indicating a negative acknowledgement in respect of the first data 808a.

In response to receiving the negative acknowledgement, theinfrastructure equipment 101 may subsequently retransmit the first data808 a (not shown in FIG. 9).

If the first data 808 a was successfully received in the first timeslot808 a, then the communications device 104 attempts to decode thereceived new data 902.

In the thirteenth timeslot 806 m, the communications device 104transmits ‘bundled’ acknowledgement information in which theacknowledgement status for both the first data 808 a and the new data902 are represented by a single bit. If (in addition to the first data808 a) the communications device 104 received the new data 902correctly, then the bundled acknowledgement information indicates apositive acknowledgement in respect of both. Accordingly, theinfrastructure equipment 101 may determine that the communicationsdevice 104 has received both the first data 808 a and the new data 902correctly, and during the next HARQ cycle may transmit further new datathat has not been previously transmitted to the communications device.

If the communications device 104 did not receive the new data 902correctly, then the bundled acknowledgement information indicates anegative acknowledgement. The infrastructure equipment 101 may not beable to distinguish between this scenario and the scenario shown in FIG.9, and may thus subsequently retransmit the first data 808 a.

In some embodiments, such as where step S630 is carried out within thesame HARQ cycle as the received first data 808 a, the communicationsdevice 104 may transmit acknowledgement information comprising anindication of the acknowledgement status of the first data 808 a,although it is transmitted too late for the infrastructure equipment 101to be able to take it into account in selecting data for transmittingusing the same HARQ process during the next HARQ cycle.

The infrastructure equipment 101 may nevertheless proceed as shown inFIG. 9 by transmitting new data using the HARQ process during the nextHARQ cycle.

In some embodiments, the communications device 104 may then transmitsecond acknowledgement information indicating the acknowledgement statusof the new data 902 during the next HARQ cycle, without bundling thiswith the status of the first data 808 a.

Based on the delayed acknowledgement information transmitted by thecommunications device 104 during the first HARQ cycle, and the secondacknowledgement information transmitted by the communications device 104during the next HARQ cycle, the infrastructure equipment 101 maydetermine the next data (new data or retransmission of previouslytransmitted data) to subsequently send using the same HARQ process.

For example, the infrastructure equipment may proceed as follows:

If the delayed acknowledgement indicates NACK for first data 808 a, theinfrastructure equipment 101 may then re-transmit the first data 808 ausing a soft-combination scheme. The new data 902 is not stored in aHARQ buffer of the communications device 104 and the next retransmissionof the new data 902 infrastructure equipment 101 may not be inaccordance with a soft-combination scheme.

If the delayed acknowledgement indicates ACK for first data 808 a, then:

-   -   if the second acknowledgement information transmitted by the        communications device 104 during the next HARQ cycle indicates        ACK (for the new data 902), then the infrastructure equipment        101 schedules further new data (i.e. not a retransmission of        previously-transmitted data) for transmission during the        subsequent HARQ cycle; and    -   if the second acknowledgement information transmitted by the        communications device 104 during the next HARQ cycle indicates        NACK (for the new data 902), then the infrastructure equipment        101 retransmits the new data 902 during the subsequent HARQ        cycle.

Above has been described behaviour of a communications device inaccordance with embodiments of the present technique.

It will be appreciated that corresponding behaviour by theinfrastructure equipment 101 also falls within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 10 illustrates a process according to embodiments of the presenttechnique for transmitting data and receiving acknowledgementinformation by an infrastructure equipment.

The process of FIG. 10 starts at step S1002 in which the infrastructureequipment 101 transmits downlink data associated with the first servicetype, such as the eMBB service, to the communications device 104.

At step S1004, the infrastructure equipment 101 transmits downlink dataassociated with the second service type, such as the URLLC service tothe communications device 104.

At step S1006, the infrastructure equipment 101 allocates the firstuplink communications resources for the transmission of acknowledgementinformation related to data blocks of the first service type by thecommunications device 104, and at step S1008, the infrastructureequipment 101 allocates the second uplink communications resources forthe transmission of acknowledgement information related to data blocksof the second service type by the communications device 104.

At step S1010, the infrastructure equipment 101 determines a priorityfor the first uplink communications resources and the second uplinkcommunications resources. These priorities correspond to the prioritiesdetermined by the communications device, for example at step S626 of theprocess illustrated in FIG. 6 and described above, and determines whichof the first and second uplink communications resources will be used forthe transmission of acknowledgement information, in the event that thecommunications device 104 is unable to transmit acknowledgementinformation using both the first and second uplink communicationsresources.

At step S1012, the infrastructure equipment 101 transmits indications offirst and second uplink communications resources together withindications of their respective priorities. In some embodiments, thepriority indications may be transmitted separately, for example as partof earlier RRC signalling for configuring the communications device 104.In some embodiments, the priority indications may be implicit (e.g.based on the data service type for which the acknowledgement informationis expected).

The indications of priorities may be in accordance with one or more ofthe techniques described above for determining the respective prioritiesby the communications device 104.

At step S1014, the infrastructure equipment determines whether thecommunications device 104 is able to transmit acknowledgementinformation using both the first uplink communications resourcesallocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information relatingto data of the first service type and the second uplink communicationsresources, allocated for the transmission of acknowledgement informationrelating to data of the second service type. This step may broadlycorrespond to the determination performed by the communications device104 at step S610 in the process illustrated in FIG. 6.

If, at step S1014, it is determined that the communications device 104can transmit using both the first and second uplink communicationsresources (“Y”), then control passes to step S1016. The infrastructureequipment 101 receives acknowledgement information related to previousdata of the first service type transmitted using the first uplinkcommunications resources, and acknowledgement information related toprevious data of the second service type transmitted using the seconduplink communications resources.

Control then passes to step S1020.

If, at step S1014, it is determined that the communications device 104cannot transmit using both the first and second uplink communicationsresources (“N”), then control passes to step S1018. The infrastructureequipment 101 receives acknowledgement information related to previousdata of the second service type transmitted using the second uplinkcommunications resources. In some embodiments, the acknowledgementinformation transmitted using the second uplink communications resourcesadditionally comprises acknowledgement information related to previousdata of the first service type transmitted using the second uplinkcommunications resources, as described above in respect of the processesillustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7.

In some embodiments, the infrastructure equipment receives noacknowledgement information transmitted by the communications deviceusing the second uplink communications resources.

Subsequently in step S1020, the infrastructure equipment 101 determinesa correspondence between the acknowledgement information received andpreviously transmitted data blocks. If step S1020 is preceded by stepS1018, then in some embodiments, the infrastructure equipment 101determines a process by which the communications device 104 has formedthe acknowledgement information. For example, the infrastructureequipment 101 may determine the correspondence based on determining thatthe communications device 104 has implemented steps S702-S708, and(following the dashed line 750 b) steps S714-S718 of the process of FIG.7 and described above.

According to embodiments of the present technique, the infrastructureequipment 101 may carry out one or more of the steps shown in FIG. 6 orFIG. 7 to determine a mapping between the acknowledgement informationreceived and previously transmitted data blocks.

If step S1020 is preceded by step S1016, then the determination of thecorrespondence may be in accordance with conventional techniques.

Control then passes to step S1022, in which the infrastructure equipment101 determines the acknowledgement status (i.e. whether a data blockhas, or has not been correctly received) at the communications device104 for the previously transmitted downlink data.

Based on the determined acknowledgement status, then at step S1024, theinfrastructure equipment 101 determines a schedule for futuretransmissions to the communications device 104. These futuretransmissions may comprise initial transmissions of data that has notbeen previously been transmitted and/or retransmissions of data that hasbeen previously transmitted.

For example, if a determined acknowledgement status for a data block isnegative, meaning that the communications device 104 has notsuccessfully received that data block, the infrastructure equipment 101may schedule a retransmission of that data block.

In step S1026, the infrastructure equipment 101 performs subsequenttransmissions and/or retransmissions in accordance with the scheduledetermined at step S1024.

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, one or more of thesteps of the processes illustrated in FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 10 may beadapted, omitted or performed in a different order from that shown.

It will be appreciated that preferably the steps taken by theinfrastructure equipment 101 are in correspondence with those taken bythe communications device 104 in order for the behaviour of each to bedeterministic in a given scenario.

Thus there has been described a method of receiving data by acommunications device in a wireless communications network, the methodcomprising receiving one or more first downlink data blocks and one ormore second downlink data blocks, for each of the one or more firstdownlink data blocks and one or more second downlink data blocksdetermining an acknowledgement status, the acknowledgement statusindicating whether the downlink data block was correctly received or notreceived correctly (ACK/NACK), receiving an indication of first uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting firstacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for theone or more first downlink data blocks, determining that the firstuplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a firstcodebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the one or more first downlink data blocks, receiving anindication of second uplink communications resources allocated fortransmitting second acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the one or more second downlink data blocks,determining that the second uplink communications resources areallocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information generatedin accordance with a second codebook, the second codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the one or more second datablocks, determining that the communications device is not capable oftransmitting acknowledgement information using the first uplinkcommunications resources and acknowledgement information using thesecond uplink communications resources, determining that a priority fortransmitting acknowledgement information using the second communicationsresources is higher than a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first communications resources, and in response todetermining that the priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, transmitting acknowledgement information usingthe second uplink communications resources, the transmittedacknowledgement information comprising an acknowledgement statusindication representing the acknowledgement status of the one or moresecond downlink data blocks, and not transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first communications resources.

There has further been described a method of receiving data by acommunications device in a wireless communications network, the methodcomprising receiving a first downlink data block transmitted usingcommunications resources associated with a first process of a repeatrequest protocol, receiving a second downlink data block transmittedusing communications resources associated with a second process of arepeat request protocol, for each of the first downlink data block andthe second downlink data block determining an acknowledgement status,the acknowledgement status indicating whether the downlink data blockwas correctly received or not received correctly (ACK/NACK), determiningfirst uplink communications resources allocated in accordance with thefirst process of a repeat request protocol for transmitting firstacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for thefirst downlink data block, determining that the first uplinkcommunications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a firstcodebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the first downlink data block, determining second uplinkcommunications resources allocated in accordance with the second processof a repeat request protocol for transmitting second acknowledgementinformation including the acknowledgement status for the second downlinkdata block, determining that the second uplink communications resourcesare allocated for the transmission of acknowledgement informationgenerated in accordance with a second codebook, the second codebook forgenerating acknowledgement information associated with the second datablock, determining that the communications device is not capable oftransmitting acknowledgement information using the first uplinkcommunications resources and acknowledgement information using thesecond uplink communications resources, determining that a priority fortransmitting acknowledgement information using the second communicationsresources is higher than a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first communications resources, in response todetermining that the priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, refraining from transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources, andreceiving an initial transmission of a third downlink data block, thethird downlink data block transmitted using next downlink communicationsresources associated with the first process of the repeat requestprotocol.

Corresponding methods for transmitting data by an infrastructureequipment have also been disclosed.

It will be appreciated that while the present disclosure has in somerespects focused on implementations in an LTE-based and/or 5G networkfor the sake of providing specific examples, the same principles can beapplied to other wireless telecommunications systems. Thus, even thoughthe terminology used herein is generally the same or similar to that ofthe LTE and 5G standards, the teachings are not limited to the presentversions of LTE and 5G and could apply equally to any appropriatearrangement not based on LTE or 5G and/or compliant with any otherfuture version of an LTE, 5G or other standard.

It may be noted various example approaches discussed herein may rely oninformation which is predetermined/predefined in the sense of beingknown by both the base station and the communications device. It will beappreciated such predetermined/predefined information may in general beestablished, for example, by definition in an operating standard for thewireless telecommunication system, or in previously exchanged signallingbetween the base station and communications devices, for example insystem information signalling, or in association with radio resourcecontrol setup signalling, or in information stored in a SIM application.That is to say, the specific manner in which the relevant predefinedinformation is established and shared between the various elements ofthe wireless telecommunications system is not of primary significance tothe principles of operation described herein. It may further be notedvarious example approaches discussed herein rely on information which isexchanged/communicated between various elements of the wirelesstelecommunications system and it will be appreciated such communicationsmay in general be made in accordance with conventional techniques, forexample in terms of specific signalling protocols and the type ofcommunication channel used, unless the context demands otherwise. Thatis to say, the specific manner in which the relevant information isexchanged between the various elements of the wirelesstelecommunications system is not of primary significance to theprinciples of operation described herein.

It will be appreciated that the principles described herein are notapplicable only to certain types of communications device, but can beapplied more generally in respect of any types of communications device,for example the approaches are not limited to machine type communicationdevices/IoT devices or other narrowband communications devices, but canbe applied more generally, for example in respect of any typecommunications device operating with a wireless link to thecommunication network.

It will further be appreciated that the principles described herein arenot applicable only to LTE-based wireless telecommunications systems,but are applicable for any type of wireless telecommunications systemthat supports a random access procedure comprising an exchange of randomaccess procedure messages between a communications device and a basestation.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention areset out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. It will beappreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined withfeatures of the independent claims in combinations other than thoseexplicitly set out in the claims.

Thus, the foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplaryembodiments of the present invention. As will be understood by thoseskilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or essentialcharacteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosure of the presentinvention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting of the scopeof the invention, as well as other claims. The disclosure, including anyreadily discernible variants of the teachings herein, define, in part,the scope of the foregoing claim terminology such that no inventivesubject matter is dedicated to the public.

Respective features of the present disclosure are defined by thefollowing numbered paragraphs:

Paragraph 1. A method of receiving data by a communications device in awireless communications network, the method comprising receiving one ormore first downlink data blocks and one or more second downlink datablocks, for each of the one or more first downlink data blocks and oneor more second downlink data blocks determining an acknowledgementstatus, the acknowledgement status indicating whether the downlink datablock was correctly received or not received correctly (ACK/NACK),receiving an indication of first uplink communications resourcesallocated for transmitting first acknowledgement information includingthe acknowledgement status for the one or more first downlink datablocks, determining that the first uplink communications resources areallocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information generatedin accordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the one or more firstdownlink data blocks, receiving an indication of second uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting secondacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for theone or more second downlink data blocks, determining that the seconduplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the one or more second data blocks, determining that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, determining that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, and in response to determining that thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources,transmitting acknowledgement information using the second uplinkcommunications resources, the transmitted acknowledgement informationcomprising an acknowledgement status indication representing theacknowledgement status of the one or more second downlink data blocks,and not transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources.

Paragraph 2. A method according to paragraph 1, the method comprising inresponse to determining that the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the second communications resources ishigher than the priority for transmitting acknowledgement informationusing the first communications resources, selecting a first number ofthe one or more first downlink data blocks, wherein the transmittedacknowledgement information comprises a second number of acknowledgementstatus indications based on an acknowledgement status associated witheach of the selected first number of first downlink data blocks.

Paragraph 3. A method according to paragraph 2, wherein determining thefirst number comprises determining a number of the first data blockswhose acknowledgement status would have been indicated by means ofacknowledgement information transmitted using the first uplinkcommunications resources in the absence of the allocation of the seconduplink communications resources.

Paragraph 4. A method according to paragraph 2 or paragraph 3, whereindetermining the second number comprises determining a number ofacknowledgement status indications that would have been included inacknowledgement information transmitted using the first communicationsresources in the absence of the allocation of the second uplinkcommunications resources.

Paragraph 5. A method according to any of paragraphs 2 to 4, the methodcomprising determining a number of acknowledgement status indicationsthat can be included in acknowledgement information transmitted usingthe second uplink communications resources, and determining one or moreof the first number and the second number based on the number ofacknowledgement status indications that can be included in theacknowledgement information transmitted using the second uplinkcommunications resources.

Paragraph 6. A method according to any of paragraphs 2 to 5, wherein thesecond number is one and wherein the acknowledgement status indicationbased on the acknowledgement status associated with each of the selectedfirst number of first downlink data blocks comprises an indication ofwhether all of the selected first downlink data blocks have beencorrectly received.

Paragraph 7. A method according to any of paragraphs 2 to 5 wherein thefirst number is equal to the second number, and the transmittedacknowledgement information comprises an acknowledgement statusindication for each of the selected first downlink data blocks.

Paragraph 8. A method according to paragraph 1, wherein the transmittedacknowledgement information does not include any acknowledgement statusindication based on an acknowledgement status associated with a firstdownlink data block.

Paragraph 9. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 8, whereindetermining that the priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources comprises determining that the second codebookhas a higher priority than the first codebook.

Paragraph 10. A method according to paragraph 9, wherein determiningthat the second codebook has a higher priority than the first codebookcomprises determining a first priority associated with the firstcodebook, and determining a second priority associated with the secondcodebook.

Paragraph 11. A method according to paragraph 9 or paragraph 10, whereina codebook index of the second codebook is lower than a codebook indexof the first codebook.

Paragraph 12. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 11, themethod comprising receiving first downlink control information forscheduling one of the first downlink data blocks, and receiving seconddownlink control information for scheduling one of the second downlinkdata blocks.

Paragraph 13. A method according to paragraph 12, wherein the firstdownlink control information comprises an indication of the firstcodebook, and the second downlink control information comprises anindication of the second codebook.

Paragraph 14. A method according to paragraph 12 or paragraph 13,wherein the first downlink control information comprises the indicationof the first uplink communications resources, the first uplinkcommunications resources being associated with a first priority, thesecond downlink control information comprises the indication of thesecond uplink communications resources, the second uplink communicationsresources being associated with a second priority, and determining thatthe priority for transmitting acknowledgement information using thesecond communications resources is higher than the priority fortransmitting acknowledgement information using the first communicationsresources comprises determining that the second priority associated withthe second uplink communications resources is higher than the firstpriority associated with the first uplink communications resources.

Paragraph 15. A method according to any of paragraphs 12 to 14, whereinthe first downlink control information comprises an indication of astart time of the first uplink communications resources, the seconddownlink control information comprises an indication of a start time ofthe second uplink communications resources, and determining that thesecond priority associated with the second uplink communicationsresources is higher than the first priority associated with the firstuplink communications resources comprises determining that a second timeunit for the indication of the second uplink communications resources issmaller than a first time unit for the indication of the first uplinkcommunications resources.

Paragraph 16. A method according to any of paragraphs 12 to 15, whereinthe first downlink control information comprises an indication of afirst mapping type for one of the first downlink data blocks, the seconddownlink control information comprises an indication of a second mappingtype for one of the second downlink data blocks, and determining thatthe priority for transmitting acknowledgement information using thesecond communications resources is higher than the priority fortransmitting acknowledgement information using the first communicationsresources comprises determining that the second mapping type isassociated with a priority higher than a priority associated with thefirst mapping type.

Paragraph 17. A method according to any of paragraphs 12 to 16, whereinthe first downlink control information comprises error checking bitsscrambled by a first of a plurality of temporary identifiers associatedwith the communications device, the second downlink control informationcomprises error checking bits scrambled by a second of the plurality oftemporary identifiers associated with the communications device, anddetermining that the priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources comprises determining that the second temporaryidentifier is associated with a priority higher than a priorityassociated with the first temporary identifier.

Paragraph 18. A method according to any of paragraphs 12 to 17, whereinthe first downlink control information is formatted in accordance with afirst of a plurality of predetermined downlink control informationformats, the second downlink control information is formatted inaccordance with a second of the plurality of predetermined downlinkcontrol information formats, and determining that the priority fortransmitting acknowledgement information using the second communicationsresources is higher than the priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first communications resources comprisesdetermining that the second predetermined downlink control informationformat is associated with a priority higher than a priority associatedwith the first downlink control information format.

Paragraph 19. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 18, whereinthe first downlink data block is associated with a first data type, thesecond downlink data block is associated with a second data type, anddetermining that the priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources comprises determining that the second data typeis associated with a priority higher than a priority associated with thefirst data type.

Paragraph 20. A method according to paragraph 19, wherein the first datatype is associated with first quality of service requirements and thesecond data type is associated with first quality of servicerequirements.

Paragraph 21. A method according to any of paragraphs 1 to 20, whereindetermining that the communications device is not capable oftransmitting acknowledgement information using both the first uplinkcommunications resources and the second uplink communications resourcescomprises determining that the first uplink communications resources andthe second uplink communications resources overlap in time.

Paragraph 22. A method of transmitting data by an infrastructureequipment to a communications device in a wireless communicationsnetwork, the method comprising transmitting one or more first downlinkdata blocks and one or more second downlink data blocks, transmitting anindication of first uplink communications resources allocated fortransmitting by the communications device first acknowledgementinformation including the acknowledgement status for the one or morefirst downlink data blocks, determining that the first uplinkcommunications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a firstcodebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the one or more first downlink data blocks, transmittingan indication of second uplink communications resources allocated fortransmitting by the communications device second acknowledgementinformation including the acknowledgement status for the one or moresecond downlink data blocks, determining that the second uplinkcommunications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the second data blocks, receiving acknowledgementinformation transmitted using the second uplink communicationsresources, determining that the communications device is not capable oftransmitting acknowledgement information using the first uplinkcommunications resources and acknowledgement information using thesecond uplink communications resources, determining that a priority fortransmitting by the communications device acknowledgement informationusing the second communications resources is higher than a priority fortransmitting the communications device acknowledgement information usingthe first communications resources, and in response to determining thatthe priority for transmitting by the communications deviceacknowledgement information using the second communications resources ishigher than the priority for transmitting the communications deviceacknowledgement information using the first communications resourcesdetermining that the received acknowledgement information comprises oneor more acknowledgement status indications representing anacknowledgement status for the one or more second downlink data blocks,and based on the received acknowledgement information, for each of theone or more second downlink data blocks, determining an acknowledgementstatus indicating whether the downlink data block was correctly receivedby the communications device.

Paragraph 23. A method according to paragraph 22, the method comprising:in response to determining that the priority for transmitting by thecommunications device acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingthe communications device acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, determining that the received acknowledgementinformation comprises one or more acknowledgement status indicationsrepresenting an acknowledgement status for one or more of the firstdownlink data blocks, and based on the received acknowledgementinformation, determining for each of the one or more of the firstdownlink data blocks an acknowledgement status.

Paragraph 24. A method according to paragraph 22 or paragraph 23, themethod comprising based on the determined acknowledgement status of oneof the second downlink data blocks, determining to retransmit the one ofthe second downlink data blocks.

Paragraph 25. A method of receiving data by a communications device in awireless communications network, the method comprising receiving a firstdownlink data block transmitted using communications resourcesassociated with a first process of a repeat request protocol, receivinga second downlink data block transmitted using communications resourcesassociated with a second process of a repeat request protocol, for eachof the first downlink data block and the second downlink data blockdetermining an acknowledgement status, the acknowledgement statusindicating whether the downlink data block was correctly received or notreceived correctly (ACK/NACK), determining first uplink communicationsresources allocated in accordance with the first process of a repeatrequest protocol for transmitting first acknowledgement informationincluding the acknowledgement status for the first downlink data block,determining that the first uplink communications resources are allocatedfor the transmission of acknowledgement information generated inaccordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the first downlink datablock, determining second uplink communications resources allocated inaccordance with the second process of a repeat request protocol fortransmitting second acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the second downlink data block, determiningthat the second uplink communications resources are allocated for thetransmission of acknowledgement information generated in accordance witha second codebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgementinformation associated with the second data block, determining that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, determining that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, in response to determining that the priorityfor transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources,refraining from transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstuplink communications resources, and receiving an initial transmissionof a third downlink data block, the third downlink data blocktransmitted using next downlink communications resources associated withthe first process of the repeat request protocol.

Paragraph 26. A method according to paragraph 25, the method comprising:transmitting acknowledgement information comprising an indication of anacknowledgement status for the first downlink data block using uplinkcommunications resources occurring after the first uplink communicationsresources.

Paragraph 27. A method according to paragraph 25 or paragraph 26, themethod comprising determining that the first downlink data block was notcorrectly received, and in response to determining that the firstdownlink data block was not correctly received, discarding the thirddownlink data block.

Paragraph 28. A method according to any of paragraphs 25 to 27, themethod comprising determining third uplink communications resourcesallocated for transmitting acknowledgement information in respect of thefirst data block, a delay between the receiving the first downlink datablock and the third uplink communications resources being in accordancewith the first repeat request protocol, and transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the third uplink communications resources indicatingthat one or both of the first downlink data block and the third downlinkdata block have not been received correctly.

Paragraph 29. A method according to paragraph 25 or paragraph 26, themethod comprising: determining that the first downlink data block wascorrectly received, determining that the third downlink data block wascorrectly received, determining third uplink communications resourcesallocated for transmitting acknowledgement information in respect of thefirst data block, a delay between the receiving the first downlink datablock and the third uplink communications resources being in accordancewith the first repeat request protocol, and transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the third uplink communications resources indicatingthat both of the first downlink data block and the third downlink datablock have been received correctly.

Paragraph 30. A method of transmitting data to a communications devicein a wireless communications network, the method comprising transmittinga first downlink data block using communications resources associatedwith a first process of a repeat request protocol, transmitting a seconddownlink data block using communications resources associated with asecond process of a repeat request protocol, determining first uplinkcommunications resources allocated in accordance with the first processof a repeat request protocol for transmitting by the communicationsdevice first acknowledgement information including the acknowledgementstatus for the first downlink data block, determining that the firstuplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a firstcodebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the first downlink data block, determining second uplinkcommunications resources allocated in accordance with the second processof a repeat request protocol for transmitting by the communicationsdevice second acknowledgement information including the acknowledgementstatus for the second downlink data block, determining that the seconduplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the second data block, determining that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, determining that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, in response to determining that the priorityfor transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources,transmitting an initial transmission of a third downlink data block, thethird downlink data block transmitted using next communicationsresources associated with the first process of the repeat requestprotocol, wherein no acknowledgement information is received which istransmitted by the communications device using the first uplinkcommunications resources.

Paragraph 31. A communications device for use in a wirelesscommunications network, the wireless communications network comprisingan infrastructure equipment providing a wireless access interface, thecommunications device comprising a transmitter configured to transmituplink data via the wireless access interface, a receiver configured toreceive signals, and a controller configured to control the transmitterand the receiver so that the communications device is operable: toreceive one or more first downlink data blocks and one or more seconddownlink data blocks, for each of the one or more first downlink datablocks and one or more second downlink data blocks to determine anacknowledgement status, the acknowledgement status indicating whetherthe downlink data block was correctly received or not received correctly(ACK/NACK), to receive an indication of first uplink communicationsresources allocated for transmitting first acknowledgement informationincluding the acknowledgement status for the one or more first downlinkdata blocks, to determine that the first uplink communications resourcesare allocated for the transmission of acknowledgement informationgenerated in accordance with a first codebook, the first codebook forgenerating acknowledgement information associated with the one or morefirst downlink data blocks, to receive an indication of second uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting secondacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for theone or more second downlink data blocks, to determine that the seconduplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the one or more second data blocks, to determine thatthe communications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, to determine that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, and in response to determining that thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources, totransmit acknowledgement information using the second uplinkcommunications resources, the transmitted acknowledgement informationcomprising an acknowledgement status indication representing theacknowledgement status of the one or more second downlink data blocks,and not to transmit acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources.

Paragraph 32. Circuitry for a communications device for use in awireless communications network, the wireless communications networkcomprising an infrastructure equipment providing a wireless accessinterface, the circuitry comprising transmitter circuitry configured totransmit data via the wireless access interface, receiver circuitryconfigured to receive signals, and controller circuitry configured tocontrol the transmitter circuitry and the receiver circuitry so that thecommunications device is operable: to receive one or more first downlinkdata blocks and one or more second downlink data blocks, for each of theone or more first downlink data blocks and one or more second downlinkdata blocks to determine an acknowledgement status, the acknowledgementstatus indicating whether the downlink data block was correctly receivedor not received correctly (ACK/NACK), to receive an indication of firstuplink communications resources allocated for transmitting firstacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for theone or more first downlink data blocks, to determine that the firstuplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a firstcodebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the one or more first downlink data blocks, to receivean indication of second uplink communications resources allocated fortransmitting second acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the one or more second downlink data blocks,to determine that the second uplink communications resources areallocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information generatedin accordance with a second codebook, the second codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the one or more second datablocks, to determine that the communications device is not capable oftransmitting acknowledgement information using the first uplinkcommunications resources and acknowledgement information using thesecond uplink communications resources, to determine that a priority fortransmitting acknowledgement information using the second communicationsresources is higher than a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first communications resources, and in response todetermining that the priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, to transmit acknowledgement information usingthe second uplink communications resources, the transmittedacknowledgement information comprising an acknowledgement statusindication representing the acknowledgement status of the one or moresecond downlink data blocks, and not to transmit acknowledgementinformation using the first communications resources.

Paragraph 33. Infrastructure equipment for use in a wirelesscommunications network, the infrastructure equipment providing awireless access interface, the infrastructure equipment comprising atransmitter configured to transmit signals to a communications devicevia the wireless access interface in a cell, a receiver configured toreceive data from the communications device, and a controller,configured to control the transmitter and the receiver so that theinfrastructure equipment is operable: to transmit one or more firstdownlink data blocks and one or more second downlink data blocks, totransmit an indication of first uplink communications resourcesallocated for transmitting by the communications device firstacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for theone or more first downlink data blocks, to determine that the firstuplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a firstcodebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the one or more first downlink data blocks, to transmitan indication of second uplink communications resources allocated fortransmitting by the communications device second acknowledgementinformation including the acknowledgement status for the one or moresecond downlink data blocks, to determine that the second uplinkcommunications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the second data blocks, to receive acknowledgementinformation transmitted using the second uplink communicationsresources, to determine that the communications device is not capable oftransmitting acknowledgement information using the first uplinkcommunications resources and acknowledgement information using thesecond uplink communications resources, to determine that a priority fortransmitting by the communications device acknowledgement informationusing the second communications resources is higher than a priority fortransmitting the communications device acknowledgement information usingthe first communications resources, and in response to determining thatthe priority for transmitting by the communications deviceacknowledgement information using the second communications resources ishigher than the priority for transmitting the communications deviceacknowledgement information using the first communications resources todetermine that the received acknowledgement information comprises one ormore acknowledgement status indications representing an acknowledgementstatus for the one or more second downlink data blocks, and based on thereceived acknowledgement information, for each of the one or more seconddownlink data blocks, to determine an acknowledgement status indicatingwhether the downlink data block was correctly received by thecommunications device.

Paragraph 34. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment for use in awireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment providinga wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transmittercircuitry configured to transmit signals to a communications device viathe wireless access interface in a cell, receiver circuitry configuredto receive data from the communications device, and controllercircuitry, configured to control the transmitter circuitry and thereceiver circuitry so that the infrastructure equipment is operable: totransmit one or more first downlink data blocks and one or more seconddownlink data blocks, to transmit an indication of first uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting by thecommunications device first acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the one or more first downlink data blocks,to determine that the first uplink communications resources areallocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information generatedin accordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the one or more firstdownlink data blocks, to transmit an indication of second uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting by thecommunications device second acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the one or more second downlink data blocks,to determine that the second uplink communications resources areallocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information generatedin accordance with a second codebook, the second codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the second data blocks, toreceive acknowledgement information transmitted using the second uplinkcommunications resources, to determine that the communications device isnot capable of transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstuplink communications resources and acknowledgement information usingthe second uplink communications resources, to determine that a priorityfor transmitting by the communications device acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting the communications device acknowledgementinformation using the first communications resources, and in response todetermining that the priority for transmitting by the communicationsdevice acknowledgement information using the second communicationsresources is higher than the priority for transmitting thecommunications device acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources to determine that the received acknowledgementinformation comprises one or more acknowledgement status indicationsrepresenting an acknowledgement status for the one or more seconddownlink data blocks, and based on the received acknowledgementinformation, for each of the one or more second downlink data blocks, todetermine an acknowledgement status indicating whether the downlink datablock was correctly received by the communications device.

Paragraph 35. A communications device for use in a wirelesscommunications network, the wireless communications network comprisingan infrastructure equipment providing a wireless access interface, thecommunications device comprising a transmitter configured to transmituplink data via the wireless access interface, a receiver configured toreceive signals, and a controller configured to control the transmitterand the receiver so that the communications device is operable: toreceive a first downlink data block transmitted using communicationsresources associated with a first process of a repeat request protocol,to receive a second downlink data block transmitted using communicationsresources associated with a second process of a repeat request protocol,for each of the first downlink data block and the second downlink datablock to determine an acknowledgement status, the acknowledgement statusindicating whether the downlink data block was correctly received or notreceived correctly (ACK/NACK), to determine first uplink communicationsresources allocated in accordance with the first process of a repeatrequest protocol for transmitting first acknowledgement informationincluding the acknowledgement status for the first downlink data block,to determine that the first uplink communications resources areallocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information generatedin accordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the first downlink datablock, to determine second uplink communications resources allocated inaccordance with the second process of a repeat request protocol fortransmitting second acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the second downlink data block, to determinethat the second uplink communications resources are allocated for thetransmission of acknowledgement information generated in accordance witha second codebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgementinformation associated with the second data block, to determine that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, to determine that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, in response to determining that the priorityfor transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources, torefrain from transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstuplink communications resources, and to receive an initial transmissionof a third downlink data block, the third downlink data blocktransmitted using next downlink communications resources associated withthe first process of the repeat request protocol.

Paragraph 36. Circuitry for a communications device for use in awireless communications network, the wireless communications networkcomprising an infrastructure equipment providing a wireless accessinterface, the circuitry comprising transmitter circuitry configured totransmit data via the wireless access interface, receiver circuitryconfigured to receive signals, and controller circuitry configured tocontrol the transmitter circuitry and the receiver circuitry so that thecommunications device is operable: to receive a first downlink datablock transmitted using communications resources associated with a firstprocess of a repeat request protocol, to receive a second downlink datablock transmitted using communications resources associated with asecond process of a repeat request protocol, for each of the firstdownlink data block and the second downlink data block to determine anacknowledgement status, the acknowledgement status indicating whetherthe downlink data block was correctly received or not received correctly(ACK/NACK), to determine first uplink communications resources allocatedin accordance with the first process of a repeat request protocol fortransmitting first acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the first downlink data block, to determinethat the first uplink communications resources are allocated for thetransmission of acknowledgement information generated in accordance witha first codebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgementinformation associated with the first downlink data block, to determinesecond uplink communications resources allocated in accordance with thesecond process of a repeat request protocol for transmitting secondacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for thesecond downlink data block, to determine that the second uplinkcommunications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the second data block, to determine that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, to determine that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, in response to determining that the priorityfor transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources, torefrain from transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstuplink communications resources, and to receive an initial transmissionof a third downlink data block, the third downlink data blocktransmitted using next downlink communications resources associated withthe first process of the repeat request protocol.

Paragraph 37. Infrastructure equipment for use in a wirelesscommunications network, the infrastructure equipment providing awireless access interface, the infrastructure equipment comprising atransmitter configured to transmit signals to a communications devicevia the wireless access interface in a cell, a receiver configured toreceive data from the communications device, and a controller,configured to control the transmitter and the receiver so that theinfrastructure equipment is operable: to transmit a first downlink datablock using communications resources associated with a first process ofa repeat request protocol, to transmit a second downlink data blockusing communications resources associated with a second process of arepeat request protocol, to determine first uplink communicationsresources allocated in accordance with the first process of a repeatrequest protocol for transmitting by the communications device firstacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for thefirst downlink data block, to determine that the first uplinkcommunications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a firstcodebook, the first codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the first downlink data block, to determine seconduplink communications resources allocated in accordance with the secondprocess of a repeat request protocol for transmitting by thecommunications device second acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the second downlink data block, to determinethat the second uplink communications resources are allocated for thetransmission of acknowledgement information generated in accordance witha second codebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgementinformation associated with the second data block, to determine that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, to determine that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, in response to determining that the priorityfor transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources, totransmit an initial transmission of a third downlink data block, thethird downlink data block transmitted using next communicationsresources associated with the first process of the repeat requestprotocol, wherein no acknowledgement information is received which istransmitted by the communications device using the first uplinkcommunications resources.

Paragraph 38. Circuitry for an infrastructure equipment for use in awireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment providinga wireless access interface, the circuitry comprising transmittercircuitry configured to transmit signals to a communications device viathe wireless access interface in a cell, receiver circuitry configuredto receive data from the communications device, and controllercircuitry, configured to control the transmitter circuitry and thereceiver circuitry so that the infrastructure equipment is operable: totransmit a first downlink data block using communications resourcesassociated with a first process of a repeat request protocol, totransmit a second downlink data block using communications resourcesassociated with a second process of a repeat request protocol, todetermine first uplink communications resources allocated in accordancewith the first process of a repeat request protocol for transmitting bythe communications device first acknowledgement information includingthe acknowledgement status for the first downlink data block, todetermine that the first uplink communications resources are allocatedfor the transmission of acknowledgement information generated inaccordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the first downlink datablock, to determine second uplink communications resources allocated inaccordance with the second process of a repeat request protocol fortransmitting by the communications device second acknowledgementinformation including the acknowledgement status for the second downlinkdata block, to determine that the second uplink communications resourcesare allocated for the transmission of acknowledgement informationgenerated in accordance with a second codebook, the second codebook forgenerating acknowledgement information associated with the second datablock, to determine that the communications device is not capable oftransmitting acknowledgement information using the first uplinkcommunications resources and acknowledgement information using thesecond uplink communications resources, to determine that a priority fortransmitting acknowledgement information using the second communicationsresources is higher than a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first communications resources, in response todetermining that the priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, to transmit an initial transmission of a thirddownlink data block, the third downlink data block transmitted usingnext communications resources associated with the first process of therepeat request protocol, wherein no acknowledgement information isreceived which is transmitted by the communications device using thefirst uplink communications resources.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention areset out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. It will beappreciated that features of the dependent claims may be combined withfeatures of the independent claims in combinations other than thoseexplicitly set out in the claims.

REFERENCES

-   [1] RP-182090, “Revised SID: Study on NR Industrial Internet of    Things (IoT),” RAN #81.-   [2] Holma H. and Toskala A, “LTE for UMTS OFDMA and SC-FDMA based    radio access”, John Wiley and Sons, 2009-   [3] 3GPP TS 38.321, “Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol    specification (Rel-15)”, v15.3.0-   [4] 3GPP TS 38.214 “NR; Physical layer procedures for data (Release    15)”, version 15.2.0-   [5] R2-1818795, “LS on Intra-UE Prioritization/Multiplexing,” RAN2,    RAN2 #104-   [6] RP-182089, “New SID on Physical Layer Enhancements for NR    Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communication (URLLC),” RAN #81.-   [7] 3GPP TR 38.824, “Study on physical layer enhancements for NR    ultra-reliable and low latency case (URLLC) (Rel-16),” v1.0.0-   [8] 3GPP TS 38.300 v. 15.4.0 “NR; NR and NG-RAN Overall Description;    Stage 2 (Release 15)”-   [9] 3GPP TS 38.825

1. A method of receiving data by a communications device in a wirelesscommunications network, the method comprising receiving one or morefirst downlink data blocks and one or more second downlink data blocks,for each of the one or more first downlink data blocks and one or moresecond downlink data blocks determining an acknowledgement status, theacknowledgement status indicating whether the downlink data block wascorrectly received or not received correctly (ACK/NACK), receiving anindication of first uplink communications resources allocated fortransmitting first acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the one or more first downlink data blocks,determining that the first uplink communications resources are allocatedfor the transmission of acknowledgement information generated inaccordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the one or more firstdownlink data blocks, receiving an indication of second uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting secondacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for theone or more second downlink data blocks, determining that the seconduplink communications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the one or more second data blocks, determining that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, determining that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, and in response to determining that thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources,transmitting acknowledgement information using the second uplinkcommunications resources, the transmitted acknowledgement informationcomprising an acknowledgement status indication representing theacknowledgement status of the one or more second downlink data blocks,and not transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources.
 2. A method according to claim 1, the methodcomprising in response to determining that the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the second communications resources ishigher than the priority for transmitting acknowledgement informationusing the first communications resources, selecting a first number ofthe one or more first downlink data blocks, wherein the transmittedacknowledgement information comprises a second number of acknowledgementstatus indications based on an acknowledgement status associated witheach of the selected first number of first downlink data blocks.
 3. Amethod according to claim 2, wherein determining the first numbercomprises determining a number of the first data blocks whoseacknowledgement status would have been indicated by means ofacknowledgement information transmitted using the first uplinkcommunications resources in the absence of the allocation of the seconduplink communications resources.
 4. A method according to claim 2,wherein determining the second number comprises determining a number ofacknowledgement status indications that would have been included inacknowledgement information transmitted using the first communicationsresources in the absence of the allocation of the second uplinkcommunications resources.
 5. A method according to claim 2, the methodcomprising determining a number of acknowledgement status indicationsthat can be included in acknowledgement information transmitted usingthe second uplink communications resources, and determining one or moreof the first number and the second number based on the number ofacknowledgement status indications that can be included in theacknowledgement information transmitted using the second uplinkcommunications resources.
 6. A method according to claim 2, wherein thesecond number is one and wherein the acknowledgement status indicationbased on the acknowledgement status associated with each of the selectedfirst number of first downlink data blocks comprises an indication ofwhether all of the selected first downlink data blocks have beencorrectly received.
 7. A method according to claim 2, wherein the firstnumber is equal to the second number, and the transmittedacknowledgement information comprises an acknowledgement statusindication for each of the selected first downlink data blocks.
 8. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein the transmitted acknowledgementinformation does not include any acknowledgement status indication basedon an acknowledgement status associated with a first downlink datablock.
 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining that thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resourcescomprises determining that the second codebook has a higher prioritythan the first codebook.
 10. A method according to claim 9, whereindetermining that the second codebook has a higher priority than thefirst codebook comprises determining a first priority associated withthe first codebook, and determining a second priority associated withthe second codebook.
 11. A method according to claim 9, wherein acodebook index of the second codebook is lower than a codebook index ofthe first codebook.
 12. A method according to claim 1, the methodcomprising receiving first downlink control information for schedulingone of the first downlink data blocks, and receiving second downlinkcontrol information for scheduling one of the second downlink datablocks.
 13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the first downlinkcontrol information comprises an indication of the first codebook, andthe second downlink control information comprises an indication of thesecond codebook.
 14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the firstdownlink control information comprises the indication of the firstuplink communications resources, the first uplink communicationsresources being associated with a first priority, the second downlinkcontrol information comprises the indication of the second uplinkcommunications resources, the second uplink communications resourcesbeing associated with a second priority, and determining that thepriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resourcescomprises determining that the second priority associated with thesecond uplink communications resources is higher than the first priorityassociated with the first uplink communications resources. 15.-18.(canceled)
 19. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first downlinkdata block is associated with a first data type, the second downlinkdata block is associated with a second data type, and determining thatthe priority for transmitting acknowledgement information using thesecond communications resources is higher than the priority fortransmitting acknowledgement information using the first communicationsresources comprises determining that the second data type is associatedwith a priority higher than a priority associated with the first datatype.
 20. (canceled)
 21. A method according to claim 1, whereindetermining that the communications device is not capable oftransmitting acknowledgement information using both the first uplinkcommunications resources and the second uplink communications resourcescomprises determining that the first uplink communications resources andthe second uplink communications resources overlap in time.
 22. A methodof transmitting data by an infrastructure equipment to a communicationsdevice in a wireless communications network, the method comprisingtransmitting one or more first downlink data blocks and one or moresecond downlink data blocks, transmitting an indication of first uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting by thecommunications device first acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the one or more first downlink data blocks,determining that the first uplink communications resources are allocatedfor the transmission of acknowledgement information generated inaccordance with a first codebook, the first codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the one or more firstdownlink data blocks, transmitting an indication of second uplinkcommunications resources allocated for transmitting by thecommunications device second acknowledgement information including theacknowledgement status for the one or more second downlink data blocks,determining that the second uplink communications resources areallocated for the transmission of acknowledgement information generatedin accordance with a second codebook, the second codebook for generatingacknowledgement information associated with the second data blocks,receiving acknowledgement information transmitted using the seconduplink communications resources, determining that the communicationsdevice is not capable of transmitting acknowledgement information usingthe first uplink communications resources and acknowledgementinformation using the second uplink communications resources,determining that a priority for transmitting by the communicationsdevice acknowledgement information using the second communicationsresources is higher than a priority for transmitting the communicationsdevice acknowledgement information using the first communicationsresources, and in response to determining that the priority fortransmitting by the communications device acknowledgement informationusing the second communications resources is higher than the priorityfor transmitting the communications device acknowledgement informationusing the first communications resources determining that the receivedacknowledgement information comprises one or more acknowledgement statusindications representing an acknowledgement status for the one or moresecond downlink data blocks, and based on the received acknowledgementinformation, for each of the one or more second downlink data blocks,determining an acknowledgement status indicating whether the downlinkdata block was correctly received by the communications device.
 23. Amethod according to claim 22, the method comprising: in response todetermining that the priority for transmitting by the communicationsdevice acknowledgement information using the second communicationsresources is higher than the priority for transmitting thecommunications device acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, determining that the received acknowledgementinformation comprises one or more acknowledgement status indicationsrepresenting an acknowledgement status for one or more of the firstdownlink data blocks, and based on the received acknowledgementinformation, determining for each of the one or more of the firstdownlink data blocks an acknowledgement status.
 24. A method accordingto claim 22, the method comprising based on the determinedacknowledgement status of one of the second downlink data blocks,determining to retransmit the one of the second downlink data blocks.25.-29. (canceled)
 30. A method of transmitting data to a communicationsdevice in a wireless communications network, the method comprisingtransmitting a first downlink data block using communications resourcesassociated with a first process of a repeat request protocol,transmitting a second downlink data block using communications resourcesassociated with a second process of a repeat request protocol,determining first uplink communications resources allocated inaccordance with the first process of a repeat request protocol fortransmitting by the communications device first acknowledgementinformation including the acknowledgement status for the first downlinkdata block, determining that the first uplink communications resourcesare allocated for the transmission of acknowledgement informationgenerated in accordance with a first codebook, the first codebook forgenerating acknowledgement information associated with the firstdownlink data block, determining second uplink communications resourcesallocated in accordance with the second process of a repeat requestprotocol for transmitting by the communications device secondacknowledgement information including the acknowledgement status for thesecond downlink data block, determining that the second uplinkcommunications resources are allocated for the transmission ofacknowledgement information generated in accordance with a secondcodebook, the second codebook for generating acknowledgement informationassociated with the second data block, determining that thecommunications device is not capable of transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the first uplink communications resources andacknowledgement information using the second uplink communicationsresources, determining that a priority for transmitting acknowledgementinformation using the second communications resources is higher than apriority for transmitting acknowledgement information using the firstcommunications resources, in response to determining that the priorityfor transmitting acknowledgement information using the secondcommunications resources is higher than the priority for transmittingacknowledgement information using the first communications resources,transmitting an initial transmission of a third downlink data block, thethird downlink data block transmitted using next communicationsresources associated with the first process of the repeat requestprotocol, wherein no acknowledgement information is received which istransmitted by the communications device using the first uplinkcommunications resources. 31.-38. (canceled)